After The Raid
by AliasCWN
Summary: After a raid on a German column the Rat Patrol has problems.
1. Chapter 1

**After The Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 1

"What happened?" Troy jumped from his jeep and ran to the other one.

Tully rolled to a stop carefully. He didn't want to stop too quickly because he was afraid that Moffitt would fall out if he did.

"They had a machine gun in one of the trucks." Tully explained as Troy reached for Moffitt's limp body. "We'd just started our run when they pushed the canvas aside and opened up on us. I got out of there as fast as I could Sarge." Tully's face was twisted with worry as Troy slid an arm around Moffitt.

"Hitch, watch for the Germans!"

Hitch grabbed a rifle and a pair of binoculars and ran for the highest point near the parked jeeps.

Tully was out of his seat and around the jeep before Troy could move Moffitt. Reaching out, he helped lift the unconscious sergeant out of the jeep. Between the two of them they carried him to a spot of shade and gently placed him on the ground.

"Get the med kit Tully." Troy didn't look at Tully as he spoke; his entire concentration was on the rapidly spreading red stain on Moffitt's chest.

Tully returned with the med kit, a canteen, and a blanket. While Troy applied pressure to the wound, Tully dug out the supplies they would need to treat their teammate.

"I may have the bleeding here under control but that wound in his arm is still leaking. See if you can get some pressure on it and get that bleeding stopped."

Tully looked at Moffitt's arm and was surprised that he hadn't noticed the wound earlier. The sergeant's sleeve was completely saturated and the blood was dripping steadily from his fingertips.

"Pour some water on this so I can see what we have." Troy ordered, breaking into Tully's thoughts.

As Tully splashed water over the chest wound he was relieved to see that the bleeding did indeed seem to be under control. Troy applied a pressure bandage and began to wrap gauze around Moffitt's chest.

"How does the arm look?"

Tully looked away from the wound to meet Troy eye to eye. "Not good Sarge, it's still bleeding heavily. I can't seem to get enough pressure on it to stop it."

Troy checked the wound and frowned. "We're going to have to find some way to get more pressure on it and keep it there. I don't like stopping here. We're going to have to move him someplace with less traffic."

"That column didn't follow us Sarge."

"Not yet but they might once they arrange to send their own wounded back to their base. We hurt them too." Troy answered quietly. "I think they'll be on our trail before long."

"They probably know that they hit Doc." Tully warned.

"Which is why I think they'll follow; I think they'll want to hit us while we're vulnerable."

"We need to stop the bleeding before we can move him." Tully looked down at the pale face and tried to hide his worry.

"We will Tully." Troy answered, his hands busy trying to stem the flow of blood. "Get me some more gauze; we'll try taping a roll on top of the wound and wrapping it to hold the pressure on it." Two rolls of gauze and a roll of tape later the flow had slowed, but not enough.

"I can hold it while you drive." Tully suggested.

"It won't work." Troy growled in frustration. "We need one jeep to cover the other one if we run into any Germans. We can't drive too fast. You'll have to take Moffitt while I ride with Hitch."

Both men watched as the rolls of gauze turned red under the tape until there was no more white.

"There has got to be a way." Troy stared at the wound as if the answer was written on the gauze.

"I've got an idea Sarge." Tully sat on the ground and began to unlace the gaiter around his ankle. The canvas cuff that kept the sand out of his boots was covered with fine grit and he very carefully brushed it off as best he could.

"That just might work Tully." Troy's eyes lit up as he realized what Tully had in mind.

The private wrapped the cuff around Moffitt's arm over the roll of gauze, pulling the laces tight over the wound. The gaiter held the roll tight against the wound, keeping the pressure in place. Both men watched as the drip from the fingertips slowed and stopped.

"I think you got it Tully." Troy let his pride in Tully reflect in his tone. "That was good thinking. Let me check the chest wound again." The sergeant leaned over to check the bandage he had applied to Moffitt's chest. He nodded slowly and sighed. "I think we have the bleeding under control."

"What about internal bleeding?"

Troy looked up at his worried private and shook his head. "I don't know Tully, I'm no doctor. I guess we'll just have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst." Troy pulled the blanket up to Moffitt's chin before grabbing a rag to wipe his hands. "Hitch, do you see anything?"

"Not yet Sarge." The blond called back.

"Okay, keep your eyes open. Tully and I are going to make a bed for Moffitt in the jeep."

"Right Sarge." The blond nodded without taking his eyes from the desert. "How is he?"

Troy had started to turn away but at the question he paused. 'How was he?' He wasn't a doctor, or even a medic, he really had no idea how to answer that question. Glancing up at his driver's back, he decided on honesty.

"I don't know Hitch. He caught one in the chest and another in the arm. Thanks to Tully we have the bleeding stopped but I don't know what else to do for him. The bullets are still in there."

"What are we going to do?"

"I want to move him someplace safer and let him rest for a while, and then I want to find a hospital that can take care of him."

"Can we move him like that?"

Again Troy chose honesty over guesswork. "I don't know but I don't think we have much choice." Troy glanced around at their present location. "We can't defend this place. Even if we could I don't think we want to hang around too long. We need to get him to a hospital."

Hitch started to nod as he scanned the desert. "I just hope Doc can handle the move." He popped a bubble and chewed hard on his gum. "When are we moving?"

"Just keep your eyes open. Tully and I will get him ready and we'll head out as soon as he's comfortable."

"Right Sarge."

"I'll make a bed in the rear" Tully rose from beside Moffitt and headed for his jeep.

"Use the blankets out of our jeep too." Troy called after him.

Tully nodded and swerved toward the other jeep. Grabbing the blankets, he returned to his own jeep to rearrange the gear to make room for the injured man. In no time at all he had made a hole that he could pad with blankets. He rolled one up to use as a pillow and padding for the sergeant's head. One he saved to cover the wounded man to help fight off shock. The others he folded and made into a thick mattress. "Ready Sarge."

"Okay Tully, let's get him in the jeep." Troy ordered. The two men carefully lifted their wounded friend and carried him to the makeshift bed. Tully draped the last blanket over Moffitt and pulled it up to his chin. Ever so gently he tucked the edges around his body.

"You just rest Doc; we'll get you someplace safe." He patted the wounded sergeant's shoulder even though he wasn't sure if his friend could hear him.

"We'll lead Tully; I'll have Hitch look for the smoothest path, you just concentrate on Moffitt."

"Gotcha Sarge." Tully's eyes darkened as he looked at the still form in the rear of his jeep.

"Hitch!"

Troy's call to his driver startled Tully out of his fog. Even though they were still not moving Tully glanced back to be sure that his passenger was secure.

Hitch ran to his jeep, pausing as he passed Tully to glance at their wounded member. He winced as he noted the bandages and the pale skin. "Sarge will get him to a doctor. Doc is tough, he'll make it." Hitch tried to reassure Tully when he noted the other private's blank stare.

"I wish I was so sure." Tully said flatly.

Hitch paused at the comment and peered at the wounded man again. "You did a good job with the bandages. It looks like the bleeding has stopped."

Tully didn't answer; he just twisted to look at his friend and sergeant and looked worried.

"Let's shake it Hitch!" Troy called impatiently. "We'll lead and cover for Tully if we run into trouble. We're headed for the nearest hospital. I don't want to stop to rest and let that column catch up to us."

Hitch turned at Troy's gruff tone and nodded. Knowing that Troy was so worried made the situation seem even more serious than before. Hitch slid into his seat without even pulling the binoculars from around his neck. Before the rifle he had carried to stand guard had seated itself in the holster on the fender he had the jeep moving.

Hitch set an easy pace, mindful of Tully's jeep behind him. Tully hung back so that the dust wouldn't settle on Moffitt and make him cough. They traveled that way for half an hour, always careful to pick the smoothest path.

"Hitch, hand me those binoculars."

Hitch pulled the field glasses from around his neck with one hand while he steered with the other. He drove now with an eye on the desert ahead, looking for a place to hide if Troy deemed it necessary. The minutes ticked by as they waited for Troy's decision.

"Find us some cover!"

Anticipating the command Hitch swerved toward some shallow depressions in the desert floor. While not deep, they were the only cover available for several miles. The few rocks scattered around were too small to hide one jeep, let alone two. No trees dotted this section of the desert and the trees were few and far between.

"There is a depression coming up that's a little deeper than the others." Hitch called.

"We'll hide in it." Troy called aback. "Tully!" The sergeant waved an arm to bring Tully up next to their jeep. "You take Moffitt and go ahead. Hitch and I are going to wait here and try to surprise that column. Maybe we can do enough damage that they'll turn back."

"Okay Sarge." Tully rolled his matchstick to the other corner of his mouth and bit down. "Just remember," he warned, "they have a machine gun in at least one of those trucks." .

"You know where we're going." Troy answered with a nod. "Just keep going, we'll catch up as soon as we can."

Tully acknowledged the instructions with a frown.

"It's up to you to get Moffitt to the hospital." Troy yelled across the space between the jeeps. "Don't worry about us; just get him to that hospital."

Hitch gave a little wave as he turned his jeep into the deepest depression to wait for the German column.


	2. Chapter 2

**After the Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

Tully kept driving but now his worries had multiplied. While he wanted to get Moffitt the help he needed, he hated to leave the others to face the German column alone. He kept picturing the moment when the canvas had been thrown aside and the machine gun muzzle had appeared; only now his mind's eye saw the bullets hitting Hitch or Troy. He had to fight the temptation to turn around. Only Moffitt's needs and the realization that he wouldn't be much help with a wounded man in his jeep kept him headed away from the column.

He didn't bother to look behind him; he would know when the column neared the other jeep. The sound of the battle would carry to him across the flat terrain. A low moan from behind him reminded him that leaving them behind wasn't for his benefit, but for Moffitt's.

As the sound of gunfire reached him minutes later he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal and prayed for his friends. If any of the column got past Troy and Hitch, he was going to make sure that they never got their hands on Moffitt.

Using all of the skills he had honed in the Kentucky hills to outrun revenuers; he pushed the jeep on, mile after mile. The trail had smoothed out and he didn't need to dodge rocks or holes as often. The sounds of the battle had gradually fallen behind him until he could no longer hear it.

He didn't stop to look for the others but every time he twisted to look back at Moffitt he would glance past him to scan the empty desert. It worried him that he didn't see the other jeep but he was relieved to note that there weren't any German vehicles trying to catch him either. The column had either turned back or lost him. Of course, they could also be treating their own wounded after their encounter with Troy and Hitch. Tully knew the others would have done some damage no matter the final outcome of the battle. He looked again but the other jeep still hadn't appeared on the desert behind him.

"Tully."

The weak cry brought him twisting around to see that Moffitt had regained consciousness. Deciding that the jeep's engine needed to cool anyway, Tully let it roll to a stop. Grabbing a canteen, he hurried around the back of the jeep.

"Here Doc, take a sip." Lifting the sergeant's head gently, he guided the canteen to his lips. The sergeant lifted his arm to tip the canteen higher. The water ran into his mouth and spilled down his chin. "Easy Doc, not too much, you'll get sick."

"Troy?" The word was barely more than a croak but it still managed to convey all of the worry and confusion of the speaker.

"Troy and Hitch stayed behind to distract the column while I got you clear." Tully explained.

"Do they know?"

"About the machine gun?" Tully finished for him.

Moffitt nodded weakly, his eyes begging Tully for an affirmative answer.

"Yeah they know." Tully nodded. "Sarge said they'd be careful."

Moffitt snorted then grimaced with pain. "Troy said he'd be careful?"

"That's what he said." Tully confirmed. "He also said not to worry about them."

"And what did you do?"

Tully shrugged and grinned at the sergeant's knowing look. "So I worry, what can I say? But I did get you out of there without looking back." Tully grinned guiltily. "At least not right away."

"How long have they been gone?"

Now Tully looked uneasy. "Too long Doc. They should have caught up by now."

"Help me sit up." Moffitt demanded weakly.

"Oh no you don't!" Tully reached to hold the sergeant in place. "We had a hard time getting the bleeding to stop the first time. Sarge would have my head if I let you open those wounds again." Tully shook his head stubbornly. "We're going to do just what Sarge said to do. I'm going to take you to the nearest hospital and get you fixed up."

Moffitt would have argued but he ran out of energy. Closing his eyes, he let the pain wash over him.

"It's too early for more morphine; you'd better lay back and try to get some more rest." Tully suggested.

"Perhaps you're right." Moffitt agreed wearily. "Call me if you need me for anything."

Tully watched as Moffitt gratefully slid back in to the darkness. As soon as he was sure that Moffitt was sleeping all right, Tully took the time to check the jeep for damage and fill the gas tank and the radiator. The sergeant was still sleeping and didn't wake as Tully climbed behind the wheel and resumed his lonely journey.

The miles seemed to go by in slow motion as the jeep made its lonely way across the vast expanse of sand. All around them the desert was empty as far as the eye could see.

A tiny glint in the clear blue sky caught Tully's eye, He stopped the jeep and reached for field glasses. At first he didn't see anything but he continued to scan the sky. His persistence paid off when he caught sight of a small spotter plane searching the desert floor. As Tully watched it wove back and forth, searching in a grid.

Pulling his map from under his seat he searched for a place to hide from the plane. He needed rocks, trees, or a deep wadi to hide the jeep in. His camouflage net might be enough to hide him from the plane if it didn't spot his tracks. That was the part that worried him. He couldn't dodge a plane with Moffitt in the rear of the vehicle. There was nothing on the map that looked like it would suit his needs. Folding the map, he kept moving. A few miles later he increased his speed, seeing a few scraggly trees ahead of him near a narrow gully. He dropped his rake before he got to the gully, erasing his tracks for nearly a mile. The jeep fit nicely at the end of the gully between a small grouping of trees. Tully jumped from the jeep and pulled the camo net from behind the seat. Draping it over the trees to cover the jeep, he ran out to check his efforts from a different angle. He was satisfied that it would fool a pilot as long as he didn't spot any glare from the jeep. Running back to the jeep, he ducked under the netting and waited next to Moffitt.

The plane flew over them several times without giving any indication that they had been spotted. Tully waited patiently for it to get far enough away that it wouldn't spot them when they moved. He tried to get Moffitt to drink a bit more water while they waited.

"Where are we?"

"Still about an hour and a half from the hospital." Tully guessed. "How are you doing?"

'I feel a bit light headed." The sergeant admitted. "Maybe if I rode up front I would feel better."

"Tully looked at the sergeant in amazement." "Up front?"

'Yes." Moffitt tried to raise his head but he was too weak.

"You must be out of your head Sarge. You just stay right where you are. Don't even think about getting up. You just let me take care of everything."

"Really Tully, I'll be fine."

"No way! I have my orders and I intend to follow them. Go back to sleep!" Tully tucked the blanket around the wounded man and noticed the tremors that the sergeant seemed intent on hiding. Seeing the signs of shock, Tully made a note to check on the sergeant more often. He folded his netting and continued toward the base.

"Tully, would you like to join me for tea this afternoon?" The question caught Tully off guard. He twisted in his seat and was surprised to see Moffitt watching him. Not sure how to answer, he decided to humor his sergeant. "Sure Doc, I'd like that."

"We can sit out on the porch and watch the people stroll by." The sergeant said wistfully. "People watching is one of my favorite pass times when I'm home."

"Mine too." Tully responded. "It won't be too damp out there will it?"

"No, no, the weather is usually quite pleasant this time of year."

Playing along, Tully suggested that they make a stop first. "We should stop and visit an old friend of mine." Tully said. "He lives just down the road from you. He'll be glad to see you Doc, I've told him all about you."

"Of course Tully. Any friend of yours would be most welcome to join us."

Tully glanced back as the sergeant's voice began to fade out. His eyes had closed and his breathing slowed as Tully watched. "We'll see my friend first and you can ask him to tea once he clears you for duty." Smiling at his sergeant, Tully checked his compass to be sure he was still on course for the hospital. The hospital was not too far ahead but Moffitt's condition had Tully hitting the gas.

When the base came in sight Tully slowed to allow the guards time to recognize the jeep. As he approached the gate he slowed even more. If this were his base he would have gone right in, but no one knew him on this base. He hadn't even called ahead because Troy had the code book in his jeep. Now, careful to keep his hands in clear view, he approached the gate.

The guards watched his approach warily. One held back as the others approached Tully.

"I have a wounded man." Tully informed them before they could ask any questions.

The guard looked from Tully to Moffitt without speaking.

"He needs a doctor bad." Tully insisted.

"Who are you?" The guard finally asked.

"Long Range Desert Group. We were on an assignment when my sergeant got hit."

"Your sergeant?" The guard asked. "He looks English. You look American. Explain that one to me."

"We're a joint American –English unit. Look, we can sort all of this out later. He needs a doctor bad."

The guard looked at Moffitt again and turned to Tully. "Can I see some Identification?"

Tully nearly ripped his dog tags from his neck in his hurry to get through the gate.

"Are you alone private?"

"No." Tully answered, letting his annoyance show. "I'm with my sergeant, that is if he doesn't die on me before I get through this gate." Anger flared in the guard's face but Tully was beyond caring. Between his worry over Moffitt and his concern for Troy and Hitch, he was ready for a fight.

"What's going on here?" An officer demanded from inside the gate.

"This man wants entry and he has a wounded man with him." The guard explained.

"So what is the problem?"

"We were told to watch for imposters trying to sneak onto the base Sir. This man is dressed in an American uniform yet he says the wounded man is his sergeant." The guard continued.

"I still don't see the problem."

"The wounded man is dressed in an English uniform Sir."

"Ah! How can he be this man's sergeant when they serve in different armies?"

The guard nodded.

"It seems to me that anyone trying to sneak onto the base would have realized that we would question such an arrangement." The officer stated calmly as he watched Tully. "What do you have to say by way of explanation Private?"

"If I were trying to sneak onto the base I wouldn't have saddled myself with a wounded man to attract attention." Tully growled in frustration. "But this man is my sergeant and he needs medical attention immediately."

"Can you explain the different armies? I admit, it has piqued my curiosity."

"We were assigned a job as a favor to the Brits." Tully began, trying hard to curb his growing impatience. "They sent Sergeant Moffitt along as a desert expert to help us locate our target. We had an opening in our unit and we decided that he was a good fit, fortunately for us, he agreed." Tully added with a fond smile aimed at Moffitt.

"And what unit are you with Private?"

"Long Range Desert Group Sir. We do recon, sabotage, and general harassment."

"Ah. I do believe we've solved the riddle Private." The officer smiled at the guard. Looking back at Tully, he eyed the jeep. "You wouldn't happen to be the Rat Patrol would you?"

"Yes Sir." Tully admitted, surprised that the officer had made the connection "Private Tully Pettigrew Sir, and this is Sergeant Moffitt."

"Aren't there others?"

"Yes Sir, Sergeant Troy, our leader, and Private Hitchcock, our other driver. They stayed behind to cover our escape Sir." Tully glanced at Moffitt again with real concern. The sergeant hadn't made a sound since his invitation to tea. "Sir, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but my sergeant is hurt pretty bad. Could we continue this discussion after we get him to a doctor?"

"Of course Private, but you do understand, you'll have to leave your weapons here until you've been cleared. My men will have to search you since you have no papers."

"Sir, I'd strip down to my birthday suit if it would get my sergeant to a doctor." Tully answered without a hint of insincerity.

"That won't be necessary Private. Just hand over your weapons and I'll have someone escort you to the hospital."

Tully quickly handed over all of his weapons and allowed himself to be searched. Then he waited for two men to crowd into the jeep.

"Don't bump Sarge." He growled as one of them climbed into the back.

"I'll drop by and we can get this all straightened out after your friend is taken care of." The officer promised.

Tully nodded and hit the gas, throwing his new passengers off balance. They directed him to the hospital where Moffitt was immediately taken into surgery.


	3. Chapter 3

**After The Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

Hitch stopped in the deepest depression he could find and pulled off his red cap so that the color would not draw attention to them. When Troy looked at him with the unspoken question Hitch shrugged and grinned.

"I don't know if they can see us in here. My hat might stick up high enough to give us way. We wouldn't want that."

"No we wouldn't." Troy agreed, grateful that his driver was thinking of the present situation and not dwelling on their wounded teammate. He ducked lower over the 50 in case they could see him standing in the rear of the jeep. Then he waited, listening as the German column drew near.

Hitch sat quietly until the column was almost on them, then he twisted in his seat. Troy looked down to see the blond picking up a canvas bag full of grenades. The driver dropped the bag on the seat next to him and opened it, ready for action.

"Give me a few of those." Troy ordered. Hitch handed him six, which he quickly tucked into his shirt. The sergeant checked the 50 and added another belt of ammo.

With preparations made, both men adjusted their goggles and braced for combat. The wait was a short one as the German column apparently spotted Tully's fleeing jeep. They increased their speed, ignoring the immediate area in front of them. Troy and Hitch made them pay for their mistake.

"Get ready Hitch, whatever happens, we can't let them follow Tully." Troy's voice was soft, eerily calm.

Hitch nodded and popped a bubble. His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel as he waited for the command to charge into battle. Greatly outnumbered and outgunned, their only advantage was the element of surprise. Hitch felt the added responsibility of covering Tully's escape like a heavy weight on his shoulders. There was no way he would let them get past him. Using his tongue, he shoved his wad of gum between his teeth and bit down hard. Like the old time cavalry, he prepared to take the battle to the enemy in a wild charge with rifles blazing.

When Troy yelled 'go' Hitch hit the gas and the little jeep popped out of the depression like a jack-in-the-box.

Troy raked the lead vehicles with the 50, taking out half of their crews in his first volley. The Germans reacted fast, having been on alert ever since spotting the fleeing jeep. Still, Hitch and Troy did manage to catch them a little off guard by popping up out of a seemingly flat desert. The bullets flew fast and furious in both directions. Hitch kept the jeep dodging and darting among the trucks where the Germans had more trouble selecting a target. The Americans didn't have to worry about hitting a friend; they were alone in the battle.

One of the gunners in a halftrack took aim at the jeep, leading a little to try to anticipate where the Americans would be in the next few seconds. Concentrating on the jeep, he failed to take into consideration what was behind the jeep. His bullets flew wide, hitting the crew of another halftrack, sending the driverless vehicle into another one. His one mistake took out two of his own vehicles.

Hitch made two passes through the German column with a wary eye out for the machine gun that had accounted for Moffitt. Ducking bullets and shells, the jeep bucked and jerked under him, forcing him to concentrate more on the jeep than the trucks they targeted.

Troy kept up a steady stream of bullets headed toward the Germans, hitting men and machines alike. The men screamed and fell as the vehicles either exploded or ground to a creaky halt. A string of bullets hit the jeep, leaving a line of holes across the front of the vehicle. One halftrack limped along trailing a thick stream of smoke that Hitch used to cover their retreat from the battle. Ducking into the black smoke, he guided the jeep away from the column.

"Find us some cover Hitch!"

The blond nodded and coaxed the bucking vehicle into the depressions that now dotted the landscape. The column didn't try to follow since they had problems of their own. The depressions led into a small series of short hills that led in the direction they wanted. Hitch kept the jeep moving, alert for any German vehicles.

"Everything okay Hitch?" Troy called as they left the battlefield.

Troy's voice seemed far away to Hitch. It sounded as if the sergeant was talking through a tunnel.

"The jeep took some damage." Hitch called over his shoulder. "We had to get out of there or they would have had us."

"How bad?" Troy asked, watching the desert behind them.

"Bad enough." Hitch answered. "It sounds like a bullet may have hit the engine, it's missing pretty badly."

"Check it out!" Troy was still watching their back trail so he didn't see Hitch pull himself out of his seat. Using the jeep for support, the blond hobbled around to the front of the jeep and raised the hood.

"The fuel line got hit." Hitch called with his head still under the hood. "I might be able to patch it to take us a little further but it needs to be fixed."

Troy jumped to the ground and started around the jeep. "Don't we have anything in the jeep we can use to fix it?" He stepped around the fender to find Hitch leaning heavily on the grill.

"No Sarge, we don't carry spare fuel lines. They don't get hit that often and we don't have any spare room for parts we don't use very often."

Hitch's face glistened with sweat and he swayed on his feet. When he tried to straighten to face his sergeant his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed into Troy's arms.

"Hitch! Hitch!"

Hitch opened his eyes slowly, turning his head to avoid the light slaps to his face.

"Wake up Hitch."

"I'm awake." Hitch reached up and gripped Troy's hand. "Where's the column?"

"They turned back." Troy answered, worry making his voice gruff. "I guess they finally had enough."

"About time."

"Yeah, for a minute there I thought they were going to come after us again." Troy shifted his body to block the sun when he noticed that his driver was squinting up at him. "Stay still, I have the bleeding stopped for now. How are you feeling?"

"Okay Sarge, I just got a little light headed." Hitch tried to sit up but Troy gently pushed him back down by pressing on his shoulder.

"Just stay down. Rest. We're not going anywhere for a while." Troy waited for Hitch to settle before he glanced at the jeep. "Are you sure we don't have anything in the jeep to fix that line?"

"No." Hitch shook his head carefully. "We don't carry anything that will work to fix it."

The sergeant let out a sigh as he sat back on his heels. "That's it then, we'll have to find another form of transportation."

"Did the Germans leave any vehicle behind?"

The quiet question stopped Troy's restless movements. "Two halftracks are burning. One's all shot up but it hasn't caught fire yet." Hitch was nodding as the sergeant listed the abandoned vehicles. "There's one patrol car still intact but if it ran they would have taken it."

"The patrol car, can we reach it?" Hitch's voice was weak but it hummed with excitement.

"Yeah, I think so. The Germans didn't leave anyone behind to watch it."

"If we can get to it we might be able to salvage a piece of fuel line to fix out jeep."

"Will it fit?"

"We can make it fit. At least I think so." The blond murmured. "Just give me a minute to catch my breath and I'll take a look."

Troy looked at his driver, noting the beads of sweat on his face. The blue eyes looking back at him were wide with pain but he knew the boy wouldn't admit to hurting.

"All right. Catch your breath and then you can tell me what to do." Troy responded. As the blond started to shake his head, Troy put his foot down. "You're in no shape to run if we get caught in the open. I want you to stay here and cover me if I need it."

Hitch slumped to the ground at Troy's tone. He knew he had already lost the argument and he didn't have the strength to keep trying. Closing his eyes, he willed away the pain that radiated up his leg and made his head spin. Slowly his stomach settled and the sky stopped making circles around his head.

"You okay?"

"Yeah Sarge." He answered weakly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hit?"

"I didn't think it was bad…I barely felt it…then." He added with a grimace. He glanced down at his leg to examine the neat bandage that Troy had applied. The bleeding had stopped and it was already drying. Moving his foot, Hitch tested his leg to see how much mobility he had lost. The result was instantaneous; the pain shot up his leg and hit him like a sledgehammer. He gasped in shock and gripped the leg tightly above the wound.

"Hurts like a bugger doesn't it?" Troy grinned as he watched his driver try to hide the pain.

Hitch looked up and nodded reluctantly.

"Figured it would. Just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it. What do we need off of that patrol car?"

Hitch explained where to find the fuel line and what tools he would need to get it. "Don't kink the line getting it out." He warned as Troy moved to get the tools.

"You just rest." Troy responded. "I'll get the tools I'll need and then I'll come back and help you to the top of the hill so you can keep watch."

"Okay Sarge, if you need any help, just yell."

Troy looked at the pale face and nodded with absolutely no intention of taking him up on the offer. Collecting the tools only took a moment but getting Hitch to the top of the hill took far longer. They had to stop several times for the younger 'rat' to catch his breath. Finally Troy got him settled so that he could start for the battle site. The burning vehicles were still sending up columns of thick, oily smoke that could be seen for miles.

Lugging tools, a canteen, and a machine gun, it wasn't long before Troy's feet felt like lead bricks. Distance in the desert can be deceiving and the sergeant, in the heat of battle, hadn't realized that they had traveled so far in the damaged jeep. His eyes constantly scanned the desert for a sign of anyone who might decide to investigate the smoke plumes.

Turning to look behind him, even knowing where to look, he could no longer spot his driver lying atop the hill. He thought that if anyone did show up they would have the same difficulty. Trudging on, he finally reached the patrol car. After one final look around he dropped to his knees and rolled onto his back. Pushing with his feet, he pushed himself under the car, dragging his tools with him.

It occurred to him that he should thank the German engineers. They had designed the car with plenty of clearance to give him room to work. Thanks to Hitch's clear instructions he soon found the line he needed to salvage. With the tools he had brought he managed to free the line in only a few minutes. Carefully, making sure to avoid any kinks, he dropped it down to where he could slide it free.

He was sliding out from underneath the car when he first noticed the sound. It wasn't loud, just a brief snort as a horse cleared its nostrils. Troy froze, listening as Moffitt had taught all of them. The soft plop of hooves on the sand was transmitted to his ear through the ground. Realizing that the sound was coming from the other side of the burning halftracks, he quickly pulled his legs underneath the car and rolled onto his stomach. Laying his tools and the salvaged fuel line safely to one side, he pulled his knife.

The noise came nearer until he could see the feet of both the horse and the Arab leading it. From the sounds it was plain that the Arab was searching the vehicles for anything of value. The sergeant remained where he was, hoping the Arab wouldn't look under the car.

With a triumphant yell the Arab ran toward the car. Dropping to his knees, he reached for the machine gun that Troy had leaned against the side of the car while he worked. His face dropped below the edge of the bumper and he cried out in shock as he spotted the sergeant. He tried to point the machine gun but Troy was ready for him. Troy's arm stretched forward and his knife penetrated the Arab's chest, silencing him forever. As the dead man slid to the ground Troy rolled to the side to look past the body. He scanned the area looking for any more Arabs. To his relief the only other living thing in sight was the horse. The Arab had tied the horse to the disabled halftrack that hadn't burned. As he crawled out from under the car the horse looked toward him with large, gentle eyes and nickered.

"Wasn't that considerate of your owner?" Troy grinned as he approached the horse. "He left me a ride so I don't have to walk back." The horse shied as he reached out his hand. Belatedly he realized that his hand carried the smell of fresh blood. Returning to the body, he dampened the bottom of the man's robe and used it to clean his hands. Gathering his tools, his weapon, and his salvaged fuel line, he prepared to ride back to the jeep. This time he was able to gather the reins and tie all of his supplies to the saddle. Searching the desert toward the German base one more time, he rode toward the distant hill.

At first his attention was concentrated on the direction from which he expected the Germans to appear. Further from the scene he began to look around. With a start he realized that he was following a trail of horse tracks; tracks that were coming from the hill where Hitch waited! Cursing under his breath he urged the horse into a faster gait. He was still a long way from reaching the hill when the first shots rang out.


	4. Chapter 4

**After The Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

After Troy left Hitch settled onto his stomach to watch the sergeant make his way across the sand. He wondered if Troy realized how far it was to the battle site. Using field glasses, he studied the area around the abandoned vehicles. As far as he could tell there was no one left alive to threaten the sergeant. The column had cleared the bodies before leaving so it made sense that there would be no survivors left behind either. This revelation made it less likely that there would be any immediate return to the site. Still, the plumes of smoke could draw attention from any number of enemies.

The sun beat down on his back as he watched his sergeant's figure grow smaller and smaller in the distance. Using his sleeve, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, keeping it from running into his eyes. The distance to the site made it impossible for him to cover Troy if he ran into trouble. Hitch eyed the desert and wondered if he could make it to his sergeant's aid if there was a problem. He needed the glasses now to follow Troy's progress since the sergeant blended into his environment.

The greasy black smoke worried him as it rose over thirty feet into the air before it began to disperse. The twin spirals blew lazily in the clear blue sky until they faded in the distance. Like buzzards, they told a tale of violence and perhaps death, and would be seen by many as something to be investigated. Hitch kept scanning the desert in case they decided to check it out while Troy was still there.

He grinned as he saw Troy reach the patrol car and disappear beneath it. It wouldn't take long to locate the fuel line and free enough to fix the jeep. He had cautioned Troy not to bend the line but, just in case, he had told him to salvage a longer piece than they actually needed. As long as the sergeant returned with anything close to what he had requested they would have more than enough to do the job.

Closing his eyes against the bright glare of the sun, Hitch let his head fall onto his folded arms. All he needed was a moment to rest, no sleep, just a chance to close his eyes, a brief respite from the brightness that made his head hurt. His leg was throbbing in time with his heartbeat. He looked at the bandage but it was still mostly white. Troy had done a good job of controlling the bleeding. Hitch couldn't believe that he had passed out and stayed unconscious long enough for Troy to clean and bandage the wound. He had told Troy that he thought the wound was a minor one, and he had thought so at the time. He gritted his teeth as he was reminded once again that his first impression had been wrong. Of course, the blood loss was most likely the reason he was feeling so weak.

Scanning the desert again, he still saw nothing. By using the glasses he could just make out the sergeant's legs sticking out from under the patrol car. It looked like Troy was getting the job done.

With a sigh he admitted to himself that the sergeant had been right to go alone. There was no way that he would have been able to walk that far, even with the sergeant's help. If they had run into trouble he knew he would have been a liability to the other man.

Suddenly he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Putting the glasses to his eyes he searched the desert again. There was still no sign of anyone but Troy. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Rolling on his back, Hitch searched the desert behind him. He quickly shaded the glasses so that they wouldn't reflect the sun as he caught a brief glimpse of movement. Gripping his machine gun he low crawled behind some low brush to hide. Staying perfectly still, he watched as three Arabs rode boldly up to the jeep. Two of them dismounted and walked around the disabled jeep, searching it with their eyes.

The third pointed toward the smoke and spoke passionately to the others. One of them gave him a dismissive gesture and turned his attention back to the jeep. The mounted man answered, sounding rather angry, before turning his horse and riding away. He circled the hill where Hitch waited and headed directly toward the burning halftracks. Hitch wanted to warn Troy but to do so would have required him to leave his concealment and expose himself to the two remaining Arabs. Torn, he fidgeted anxiously as he watched the men below.

He had about decided to try to warn Troy when the decision was made for him. One of the two Arabs by the jeep noticed the footprints leading up the hill. He pointed the tracks out to his companion and an argument ensued. Hitch gripped his weapon tighter while listening for any sounds from Troy. The Arabs seemed to be at odds about investigating the tracks. Hitch cautiously pushed sand to the sides, trying to dig a hole to give him cover. He had the advantage of the high ground but the Arabs had the advantage of numbers and agility. His leg hurt just thinking about moving around. Hitch waited motionless as the Arabs argued, his grip getting sweaty on his weapon. The tension soon had sweat dripping into his eyes again. When he shifted his weight to get into a better position he had to bite back a groan at the pain shooting up his leg.

The Arabs, having come to an agreement, began to move toward the hill Confident of his cover, Hitch watched them approach. They separated as they came around the jeep, each one holding an ancient rifle in his hands. Not knowing where the third Arab was, Hitch hesitated to shoot and draw attention to himself. Even though he had only seen three riders, he knew there could be more close by. Biting his lip, he waited until he was forced to make a decision.

The delay worked for him as the Arabs left the protection of the jeep and continued up the hill where they had no cover. Holding the high ground and with the element of surprise on his side, he thought he had a chance. It would have been enough if not for the wound and his weakened condition. Taking them into consideration evened the odds a bit. The longer he waited the closer the danger, giving him less time to react. Hitch closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and made his move. Without rising from his hiding place, Hitch aimed at the Arabs. He knew he wouldn't be able to duck very well if they returned fire. Poking the muzzle of his weapon through the brush, Hitch made a slight sound. The Arabs, already nervous, reacted quickly. As Hitch pulled the trigger the two Arabs separated, each diving to the ground and rolling to avoid the bullets. The bullets flew over their heads, giving them pause but doing no damage.

One of them returned fire, pinning Hitch in place while his companion rolled to the side seeking a better angle. The return fire ripped through the brush just inches from the blonde's head. He slid backwards, hitting his injured leg on a small rock. It might as well have been a boulder as dizziness swept over him.

The Arab in front of him stopped to reload as the second one opened fire. Hitch waited, knowing that the first one would try to advance. He knew they would try to catch him in a crossfire where he had nowhere to hide. Just as he expected, the Arab jumped to his feet to make a dash around the side of the hill. Hitch shot him before he could dive to the ground again. When he did hit the ground, he hit it hard, and stayed there.

The second Arab jumped to his feet and ran toward Hitch. If he had been carrying a machine gun the blond would have died then and there. As it was, his aim was off, hitting the ground just short of the wounded American.

Hitch returned fire, knocking the Arab back down the hill. The Arab's last shot hit the ground in front of his face, throwing sand in his eyes. He blinked his eyes, trying to clear them in case the Arabs had friends nearby. With the third Arab's location still unknown he needed to be able to see. The sound of rapidly approaching hoof beats didn't do anything to ease the stress.

The tears were flowing freely but there was still grit in his eyes. He wanted to wipe them but he knew doing so might scratch his eyes and cause further damage. The hoof beats had stopped but that fact was not in the least reassuring. He could sense the presence of another soul on the hill. Keeping still, he did his best to clear his eyes before the new threat could locate him.

The sound of sand shifting alerted him to movement as someone ran up the hill behind him. Shifting as quietly as possible, he turned to face the new threat. His leg protested the new position and he wasn't sure that he could stay conscious long enough to deal with this new danger. His blurry vision made it nearly impossible to locate the new arrival. He gripped his weapon tightly, determined to go down fighting. Briefly he thought of Troy and hoped that he had been able to defend himself against the Arab that had ridden his way.


	5. Chapter 5

**After the Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 5

Troy rode hard for the hill as more shots rang out. He recognized the initial shots as having come from an American machine gun. Knowing that Hitch hadn't been caught off guard eased his mind slightly. His main worry now was that his driver was weak from blood loss and might not be able to maneuver to keep the enemy at bay. He knew the Arabs would try to out flank Hitch and use their numbers against him, but he didn't know how many there were, and that concerned him.

The horse was blowing hard by the time he reached the hill. He left the saddle before the horse could slide to a stop. The gunshots might cover the sound of his approach or they might not, but he decided that it didn't matter. If the Arabs heard the horse coming they would just assume it was their own man returning. Leaving the horse to do what it wanted, he ran for the hill. Clawing his way to the top, he heard one final gunshot and then silence. Since the last shot wasn't from an American gun, Troy slowed his approach and proceeded more cautiously. Not knowing who, or how many, were alive at the top of the hill, he inched forward with his machine gun muzzle leading the way.

There was a sound from the other side of the hill and the sergeant froze. Not knowing if Hitch was dead or alive, he held his fire, waiting. He heard another sound, and it was close, but again he couldn't positively identify the origin. Fearing the worst, he inched forward, listening for any other sounds.

He lifted his head slightly to peek over the hill. The sight of his driver lying in the sand in front of him was a relief. When he looked past his driver he could see at least one dead Arab. He couldn't hear any other combatants but he didn't take any chances. He could see Hitch moving, obviously hurt, but alive. He opened his mouth to call to the younger 'rat' until he spotted a wounded Arab trying to take aim at his driver. Acting instinctively, he aimed and fired in one continuous motion.

Hitch reacted by twisting and sending a bullet headed Troy's way. The projectile passed so close that he swore he could feel the heat of its passing.

"Hitch!"

"Sarge?" The blond replied with a shaky voice. "Sarge, I almost shot you! I didn't hit you did I? I'm sorry Sarge." Hitch was talking fast, his voice and face expressing his shock. "I can't see Sarge; tell me I didn't hit you!"

Troy moved forward, rushing to his driver. "What's wrong? Why can't you see?" Hitch still held his gun pointed his way so he pushed the muzzle toward the ground. He gripped the private's arm and helped him sit up. "You didn't hit me. It's all right. You missed me by a mile." He lied as the younger 'rat' collapsed onto the sand. "Are you hit?"

"No." Hitch shook his head. "I mean, not again."

"What's wrong with your eyes?"

"I got sand in them, everything's so blurry that I can't see anything."

Relied flooded Troy and he patted the younger man's shoulder lightly. "It's okay, just keep them closed, I'll get some water."

Hitch dutifully closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face, and waited as Troy retrieved the canteen that he had dropped. He was shivering when Troy returned, hugging his body with his head hung low.

Troy washed his eyes carefully, using more water than he needed but wanting to be sure he got all of the sand. The younger soldier looked like he was going into shock and the sergeant didn't want him to endure any stress that could be avoided. Troy couldn't be sure if it was shock, exhaustion, or the close call but he knew the kid needed rest.

Taking a shovel from the jeep, he walked over to a clump of scrub brush and began to dig a trench in the middle of it. When he was done he moved all of the gear that the Arabs had planned to steal and dropped that next to the trench. Next he returned to his driver and tried to help him to the shelter.

The blond was so weak that he couldn't stand on his own. It was a testament to how weak he was when he didn't object when Troy lifted him onto his shoulder and carried him to the trench. "I'm not that far gone." He looked up at Troy with a wan smile as the sergeant gently lowered him to the ground.

The sergeant looked at him in confusion.

Hitch nodded to the trench next to him. "Just don't cover me up until you're sure I'm not breathing." Humor mixed with the pain in his eyes.

"Don't tempt me." Troy growled in mock warning. "You rest. I'll work on the jeep. If I need any help I'll give you a call. Okay?"

"Okay Sarge." Hitch responded with a tired sigh.

Troy draped a tarp over the brush on either side of the trench to give Hitch some shade. He used the salvaged gear to help hold it in place. The shelter was small but it afforded the youngster some relief from the heat. Giving him another pat on the shoulder, Troy made sure he was settled before he returned to the jeep.

His horse had kept running until it found the horses the other dead Arabs had ridden. Troy approached it slowly, careful not to spook it. Once he had a grip on the reins he tied it next to the others and retrieved his tools and the salvaged fuel line. He glanced at his watch, wondering if Tully had managed to get Moffitt to the hospital yet. He jiggled the tools in his hand and wished the lanky private from Kentucky could be there to fix the jeep. He would have to pay more attention in the future when the two privates worked on the vehicles. Knowing how to fix the basic problems might come in handy again sometime in the future.

Dropping to the sand, Troy slid under the jeep and got to work. the job that might have taken Tully, or even Hitch, minutes, was taking him a long time. He had to wake Hitch twice to ask about one problem or another. The young private had been quiet for a while and Troy decided to take a break and go check on him. He slid out from under the vehicle, leaving his tools scattered in the sand. He grabbed a canteen and took a drink before heading up the hill to give Hitch some water.

"Hey Sarge!" The call carried across the silence of the wadi.

"Coming."

"Do you hear that Sarge?"

Troy paused, straining to hear the sound that his driver had heard. The faint rumble registered almost immediately. "Engines."

"German engines." Hitch confirmed.

"Stay put, I'm going to go check it out." Troy ran for the hill where he had left Hitch to stand guard earlier. The halftracks in the distance still sent up smoke that pinpointed their location for anyone interested in checking it out. Further in the distance, past the halftracks, Troy spotted a line of moving vehicles. The line of halftracks and trucks were moving slowly, apparently in no hurry, but headed in a direct line for the battle site. Troy turned around to scan his location, wondering if the column might search it after they checked out the burning vehicles. Using his glasses, Troy watched as the column stopped at the abandoned vehicles. As he watched a tall, lean officer climbed out of the lead halftrack and walked around the scene. "Dietrich."

The officer walked around the burning husks and studied the tire tracks on the ground. He stood with his hands clasp behind his back as his men extinguished the last of the fires. His eyes missed nothing as he read the signs left behind by the battling forces. Then, almost nonchalantly, he walked toward the patrol car abandoned a short distance from the halftracks.

The captain knew a bit about the desert and the Arabs who inhabited it. Troy had no doubt that the officer would read the signs and come to the correct conclusion; the Arab had been a bandit and had met up with someone who objected to his larcenous ways. Troy tried to remember if he had left any clues behind as to his identity. It was clear the moment that Dietrich spotted the hose tracks. His entire body stiffened and he looked around quickly in case the Arabs were still around. The officer followed the tracks with his eyes, staring at the hill for several minutes.

Troy cursed as Dietrich called to his men and pointed toward the horse tracks. He waved a hand in the direction of the tracks and his men ran for their vehicles. Troy turned and ran as the German column followed the single set of tracks toward the hill where Hitch and Troy waited.

The Captain picked up his radio and warned his men to be alert as the horse tracks blended with two sets of tire tracks. He immediately recognized the tracks as those belonging to an American jeep, or two. Although they appeared to be hours old, he still warned his men to take care. When he had received the call from the convoy that had been attacked, they had claimed to have eliminated at least one of the enemy; the tire tracks seemed to tell a different story.

The second attack, the one that had taken place where he stood, had been reported as the work of only one jeep. The column commander had reported seeing one of the jeeps fleeing and admitted to having given chase and run into the second attack. Dietrich suspected that the fleeing jeep had been a decoy and the commander of the other column had fallen for the ploy. Not willing to fall victim himself, he ordered his men to proceed slowly.

The Captain didn't really expect to find any of the Rat Patrol waiting on the other side of the hill. The battle had taken place in the morning and it was now almost evening. He knew that they never hung around after the battle unless they wanted to check the damages and they had had plenty of time to do that. Still, they were unpredictable, and he wasn't a fool. They had built their reputation by doing the last thing expected of them. He loosened his luger in his holster and strained his eyes to see around the hill.


	6. Chapter 6

**After The Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 6

Tully waited impatiently for the doctors to return with word about Moffitt. While he waited he worried that Troy and Hitch hadn't caught up with them yet. He had a bad feeling about their continued absence. He rose from his seat to once again pace the hall.

The MP assigned to guard him shifted his weapon uneasily at Tully's scowl. They had repeated this scenario many times over the previous two hours. Tully would pace the hall until he wore himself out and the guard would watch tensely. Then Tully would sit down and the guard would try to relax until the next time.

This time the routine was interrupted by the doctors. Tully rushed to meet them, his eyes searching their faces for a sign that they were delivering good news. One of the doctors smiled a tired smile and indicated that Tully should take a seat. Tully ignored the offer and waited impatiently for their message. "How is he?"

"He's going to pull through Private." The doctor sighed. "We managed to get the bullet out almost intact. There was some internal bleeding and he was in shock, but he's resting quietly now. The confusion you mentioned is fairly common in patients under these conditions. We gave him both blood and plasma and we have the bleeding all under control. He's sleeping right now and I don't want him disturbed before morning." The doctor gave Tully a look full of warning.

"I understand Doc." Tully nodded quietly. "Can I at least look in on him?" The doctor opened his mouth to say no but Tully hurried on. "I promise not to wake him Doc; I just need to see for myself that he's okay."

The doctor relented at the obvious concern in Tully's voice. "Just for a moment Private; he needs his rest. He should be awake tomorrow and you can visit him then."

"I may not be here then." Tully drawled, looking toward the MP. "The rest of my unit is overdue and I want to go look for them."

"Alone?" The doctor asked in surprise. "Surely you aren't planning on going out there without help?"

"They may need me Doc, and I can't let them down. My job was to get Sergeant Moffitt to a hospital; I've done that. Now I've got to go back and find them." Tully turned to the MP. "Are you going to try and stop me?"

The MP smiled at the word 'try', noting that Tully seemed determined. "You'll have to clear it with Captain Elan; but if you checked out with headquarters you shouldn't have any trouble. It's not my call."

"Good," Tully responded, "Because I'm going." Turning back to the doctor he grinned at the man's surprised expression. "Could you tell me where to find my sergeant?"

"All right Private, just remember, don't wake him."

Tully nodded and followed the doctor down several corridors to a small room where Moffitt slept quietly. The pain lines were gone, replaced by a serene expression that Tully hadn't seen in quite a while. He had more color than when he'd arrived at the hospital. Tully watched his slow, steady breathing for a moment before he nodded and thanked the doctor. "You take good care of him Doc, I'll be back. Hopefully I won't have any new patients for you when I come back. Tell him where I went and tell him not to worry, I'll find them."

"Good luck Private." The doctor called as Tully turned to leave.

The MP escorted Tully directly to Captain Elan's office as soon as they left the hospital. The Captain had called to Tully's base and talked to Captain Boggs.

"I was just about to send for you Private." The Captain rose from his desk as Tully and the MP entered his office. "I spoke with Captain Boggs and he has confirmed your story. He spoke very highly of you and your outfit."

"That's good to know." Tully drawled. "Can I go now?"

"Go? Go where?"

"The rest of my unit is still missing." Tully explained again. "I'm the only one who knows their last location. I have to go look for them."

"Look for them?" The Captain gasped. He eyed the MP who just shrugged and smiled. "Private, I can't spare any men right now to go help search for your friends. The Germans could attack our base at any time and I'm shorthanded as it is. I just can't authorize a rescue mission at this time."

"I'm not asking you to." Tully answered. "I'm just saying that I have to go look for them. They may have run into trouble and may need my help."

"One man alone. What could you do?"

"I won't rightly know until I get there and see what the situation is." Tully met the Captain's incredulous stare. "They wouldn't leave me behind: they'd come back for me; I have to go back for them. That's how our outfit works captain. We take care of each other; it's how we survive."

"Very commendable Private but I'm not sure I can let you go out on your own. It could very well be sending you to your death for no good reason."

"Ask Captain Boggs." Tully suggested, his voice taking on a hard edge. "He'll tell you, we can take care of ourselves. I don't need any help."

Taken back, the Captain considered the solution. "All right Private, I'll call Captain Boggs back and talk it over with him. If he approves, I'll allow it."

"Call him Sir, time's a wasting."

With a curt nod the Captain headed for the radio room with Tully and the MP right behind him. He wasn't sure just how to take Tully's defiance to his orders but he couldn't help but admire his willingness to go after his friends alone. To his surprise, Captain Boggs not only agreed to let the Private go alone, he seemed pleased with the idea. Captain Elan also noticed that the other captain didn't seem at all surprised that the private had insisted on being allowed to go. Obviously there was more to the young soldier than he had first realized. The moment he gave his permission the lanky private was out the door and headed for his jeep.

"Interesting." Captain Elan stated aloud.

"Isn't it though." The MP agreed.

"I've heard a bit about that unit." The Captain admitted. "Maybe it's not all just talk after all."

Tully pushed his jeep hard, trying to beat the setting sun. As the hills spread out and became fewer and further between, he slowed and began to look for the site of the morning's battle. The faint darkening in the sky where the smoke still rose from the halftracks was his guide for the last few miles.

Putting caution ahead of his need to find the others, Tully decided to circle around the scene and approach from a different direction. Choosing a hill to use as an observation point, he parked the jeep and began to climb the hill. He heard the German engines start up as he neared the top of the hill he had chosen. Slipping carefully to the crest, he peeked over the top and caught his breath.

Captain Dietrich stood below him right next to the other jeep. The Captain stared off into the distance for a few moments, looking like he was lost in thought. Then he glanced down at a dark stain on the ground in front of the jeep. Tully knew what it was. He had seen enough blood to recognize it without any trouble. There was blood on the driver's seat too, telling Tully that it was most likely Hitch who was hurt. Troy's condition was still a mystery.

Dietrich turned from the blood stain and called to his men. He waved at a group who stood at the rear of one of the trucks, sending them rushing to get into the truck. After standing around with rifles ready, they seemed in a hurry now. It seemed to Tully that they were guarding something, and he wanted to know what it, or who, it was. He took special note of that truck, planning on paying it a visit once Dietrich stopped for the night. There were too many of them for him to take on alone so he would have to wait for them to go to sleep before he made his move. He wasn't planning on fighting all of them. He would go in nice and quiet and rescue the others before the Germans knew what was happening. He knew that Dietrich might be expecting a rescue attempt but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

Looking at the sun, Tully didn't think that Dietrich would go far before he started looking for a campsite. He wouldn't want to stay too close to the battle site in case anyone else decided to investigate and he wouldn't want to travel after dark. The engines revved and the German column moved out across the desert. The night winds had already started to blow, erasing the tracks of what had happened from the sand. Tully didn't plan on being far behind them so he wasn't worried about the trail disappearing. He watched through field glasses as the German column headed back toward their last known base. Tully wasn't worried about losing them in the dark either, there were only so many good camp sites that could be reached before full dark.

Once the German column was out of sight, Tully turned his glasses toward the abandoned jeep. Tools still lay in the sand where someone had been repairing some damage. The dried blood in front of the jeep drew his attention. It wasn't fresh, and Dietrich had just left. Hope began to bloom in Tully's mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**After The Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 7

Dietrich eyed the plumes of smoke and gave his driver the direction he wanted to go. The other column had reported first one attack and then the second. He supposed that he should be angry at the column's commander for being foolish enough to follow the Rat Patrol, especially after reporting that they had wounded one of the team. If Dietrich had gotten the message in time, he would have advised the commander to head for his base at all possible speed. Having one of their own wounded always resulted in the others turning fiercely protective. With the column already shot up, the rest of the column hadn't had much of a chance against Troy's outraged marauders.

At least the column commander had learned his lesson and hadn't continued to press on after the lone jeep. It wouldn't have surprised Dietrich to find that the single jeep was attempting to lead the final part of the column into another ambush.

Once they arrived at the second ambush site, the Captain jumped to the ground to study the signs. The late afternoon breeze had not yet erased the tracks, making it easy to reconstruct the battle in his mind. It was easy to see how the more agile jeep had run circles around the heavier vehicles, a move they had honed to perfection through hard won experience.

Dietrich was pleased to know that the commander had taken the time to collect his dead rather than leave them to the buzzards. The Captain never felt right exposing his dead to the indignity of the scavengers. The halftracks were a loss he could ill afford, but the loss of life pained him more. Staring at the wreckage he realized that the smoke from the burning vehicles was still rising into the sky, acting as a beacon for who knew who. Calling to his men, he ordered them to extinguish the fires. As his men shoveled sand on the fires Dietrich strolled over to the single patrol car abandoned a short distance from the halftracks.

As he walked around the car, noting the large caliber bullet holes, and wondering if the car could be salvaged, he almost stumbled over the body. With a start he stepped back, eyeing the legs sticking out from under the car. It only took one look to realize that the legs belonged to an Arab. The flowing robe had pulled up as the body was stuffed under the car. Dietrich leaned down until he could see the knife wound that had killed the man. Puzzled, he began to study the tracks around the vehicle.

He found the tracks of someone approaching the car on foot, and the horse tracks both coming and going. There was no way to tell who had walked to the scene since the wind had already started to erase the tracks. They were still visible but they were no longer distinct. Following the horse tracks with his eyes, Dietrich stared off toward the hills in the distance. It looked like the horse had come from there and returned there. Seeing no sign of movement, the Captain still ordered his men to stay alert.

Dietrich kept his eye on the distant hill even as he loosened the gun in his holster. The feeling of being watched made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Raising his hand, Dietrich waved the column into motion. The Captain wanted to reach their night camp before it was dark. The desert was unforgiving when it came to night travel. He still did not know the identity of the one who had killed the Arab and if it was a German soldier who had been accidently left behind, he needed to know it. Giving the order to approach the hill, he tried to see around the curve to watch for an ambush.

The tracks circled around the hill that he had been watching. Glancing back to make sure that his men were alert, he waited expectantly to see what was on the other side.

A yell from one of his men drew his attention. The soldier shouted again but Dietrich couldn't make out the words. The soldier shouted and pointed for the third time. Dietrich looked where he pointed and spotted three horses disappearing over another hill. One of the horses was rider less but he noticed the flowing robes on the other two as they leaned over the necks of the animals. He was still pondering the significance of what he had just seen when his halftrack cleared the hill. The abandoned jeep sitting at the bottom of the slope caught him by surprise. The hood was up, possibly signaling mechanical problems. This was confirmed by the tools scattered on the ground beneath the jeeps engine. Dietrich couldn't help himself; he spun in a circle looking for any sign of the second jeep. The desert around him looked empty except for his own men. Disgusted with himself for his reaction, especially in front of his men, the Captain climbed out of his halftrack and approached the jeep.

The first thing he noticed was that everything of value that could be easily carried was gone. The fleeing Arabs came to mind immediately.

The next thing he noticed was the large pool of dried blood near the front of the vehicle. This seemed to confirm the column commander's report of hitting one of the 'rats'.

Dietrich now walked around the jeep searching for tracks. The wind had erased a lot of the evidence but he thought he detected a second set of jeep tracks leaving the wadi. It made sense that they might abandon a damaged jeep but they would never leave a teammate behind. The faint tracks seemed to suggest that the four of them had escaped in the other jeep after the column had turned back to their base.

The feeling of being watched persisted so he scanned the hill around him for any watchers. He wasn't particularly worried about Troy and his men but he didn't want his man to fall victim to the bandits either.

His men were standing around the trucks with their rifles, looking nervous. Apparently the sight of the familiar jeep had them on edge too. The Captain smiled, how ironic that they should owe their heightened state of awareness to their most irritating enemies. That awareness had kept them alive in more than one instance where the Rat Patrol was not involved. He wondered what Troy would have to say about the unintended benefits of his raids. He had received more than one commendation for the readiness of his men and it was most certainly due at least in part to the Rat Patrol.

Glancing at the sun again, he motioned for his men to move out. If the Arabs were waiting around to finish their looting, he would leave them to it. He still had a ways to go before he could find a suitable camp for the night. Looking at the jeep, he thought there was a chance that he would get a good night's sleep since it looked like the Rat Patrol had problems of their own. He stood in the front of the halftrack next to his driver and kept his eyes open for the Arabs. The feeling of being watched didn't diminish until they were well clear of the jeep.

He made sure his camp was well guarded once everyone was settled. He had only seen two Arabs but he knew that that number could change in moments. The Arabs usually stayed in family groups but the bandits followed a different set of rules. They had been known to join with other bands if the rewards were large enough. Dietrich knew that he carried nothing of real value but he also knew that the Arabs probably didn't have any way of knowing that.

Despite his earlier confidence that he would be getting a full night's sleep, Dietrich spent a restless night.


	8. Chapter 8

**After The Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 8

Tully returned to his jeep and sat in thought for a few minutes. Dietrich had headed for one of his favorite campsites, one he frequented any time he was in this section of the desert. Tully was certain that he could find him when he was ready. For the time being, he wanted to check out the other jeep and see if he could figure out what had happened. Driving slowly, he took the jeep around to park next to Troy's jeep.

Slipping out of his jeep he knelt on the ground and fingered the blood soaked sand. His fingers came away dry. Next he checked to see how much damage the jeep had sustained. It only took one glance to spot the hole in the fuel line. The tools drew his attention. As he leaned down to pick them up he noticed the fuel line Troy had salvaged from the German patrol car.

Slowly Tully leaned to the side to pick up the machine gun he had leaned against the fender. A small sound had caught his attention. Wrapping his fingers around his weapon, he spun around, bringing it up to fire.

"Tully!"

Tully froze, his finger on the trigger, as Troy called his name. Troy came around the jeep, his arms out at his sides.

"Sarge! I thought Dietrich got you."

Troy grinned. "Not hardly. He was here, but as usual, he left empty handed."

"Where's Hitch?" Tully looked past Troy to look for his best friend.

Troy lost his grin at the question. He jerked his head behind him. "Back there. He caught a bullet in that last attack…so did the jeep."

"How bad?" Tully asked as he headed that way.

"He got hit in the leg. He lost quite a bit of blood before I found out about it. We have the bleeding under control but he can't walk on it." Troy glanced back at the jeep. "I've been trying to fix the fuel line but I'm no mechanic. Hitch was trying to talk me through it."

Tully stopped next to the trench that Troy had dug. Hitch lay curled under the tarp, covered in sand.

"I had to hide him so I buried us in the sand. The tarp should have kept sand out of the wound." Troy explained what he had done as Tully bent down to check for a pulse. "He's alive Tully, but he's weak, he needs a doctor."

"I guess I should finish working on the jeep."

Troy grinned again. "That would be great Tully! I'll stand watch so no one sneaks up on us."

"The Arabs?"

"Them or Dietrich."

"Dietrich headed for his favorite campsite. I don't think he's coming back this way any time soon." Tully looked down at Hitch who was oblivious to their presence. "How come Dietrich didn't look harder for you?"

Troy shrugged. "Maybe he thought we dressed as Arabs and rode out of here on a couple of horses."

Tully looked confused.

"Three bandits tried to steal our gear and kill us. They didn't make out so well." Troy explained. "When I saw Dietrich coming I tied the bodies on the horses and sent them running for home. I'm pretty sure that Dietrich saw them but he didn't send anyone after them. If he thought they were us he wouldn't have had any reason to search for us here. Whatever the reason, he didn't look too hard and he didn't find us."

"Aren't you worried that the Arabs might come looking for revenge?"

Troy shrugged. "What choice did we have? Hitch can't walk and he sure can't ride a horse. I figured I could get the jeep running and take him to the base for help."

"Okay Sarge. I'll fix the jeep now. It looks like you have everything you need."

"How's Moffitt?"

"Alive." Tully answered. "The doc says he thinks he's going to be fine. I left him in good hands. I wish I could have stayed until he woke up but I needed to get back out here and see if you needed any help."

"We appreciate it Tully. Good to hear about Moffitt too."

Tully nodded and shifted his ever present matchstick. "Sarge, it's not a good idea to try driving at night. That terrain is pretty rough between here and the base."

"Okay Tully, we'll wait until morning." Troy nodded agreeably.

"What about Hitch?"

Troy glanced at the sleeping blond, his face thoughtful. "I think he can wait that long. The main thing was blood loss; it left him pretty weak. Rest is probably the best thing for him. So far he hasn't developed any fever."

"That's good." Tully responded. "I'd better go work on that jeep."

While Tully worked on the fuel line Troy kept watch from the top of the hill.

"All done Sarge." Tully called as he collected the tools he had used. "That German line worked just fine."

Troy half ran, half slid down the slope of the hill. Reaching the bottom he stopped at the jeep' "Did you fill the gas tank?"

Tully nodded.

"Okay, help me get the jeep loaded. I want to make a bed for Hitch in the back of your jeep. If we run into trouble I want you to get Hitch to the hospital."

Tully opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it. Instead he followed Troy to the trench and collected the gear that the Arabs had tried to steal. Then Troy used the blankets that Tully had brought back to make a bed for the blond.

"Help me get Hitch to the jeep."

Hitch opened his eyes as they lifted him to carry him to the jeep.

"Tully?"

"Yeah, it's me Hitch. Come on, we'll get you in the jeep." Tully gave Hitch his shoulder to lean on. The blonde's head rolled to the side as Tully slipped his shoulder under his friend's arm. Troy slid his shoulder under his other arm and between the two men they managed to get Hitch to the jeep.

Hitch closed his eyes as they helped him onto the makeshift bed.

Tully took his seat and led the other jeep to a wadi he had seen earlier. With Troy's nod of approval, he pulled in and turned off his engine. "Sarge." Tully approached Troy as the sergeant prepared to help his driver out of the jeep. "About tomorrow."

"What about it?"

"Why don't you take Hitch back and let me cover you this time?"

"Because it's my responsibility Tully."

"You're responsible for Hitch too." Tully argued. "Sometimes it's okay to let someone else take a few risks. Don't you think you've earned a break too?"

Troy smiled in the dark. "How long have you been rehearsing this little speech?"

"We need you just as much as you need us Sarge. Did you ever think what would happen to us if something happened to you?"

Troy thought about it for a minute before he answered Tully. "I guess we all need each other. You're right; I never really thought about it much. But Tully, I'd feel better if you took Hitch back. Call me selfish but I know you'll get him back safely and I feel like I'm doing the most good by covering you." Troy paused, the silence heavy between them. "I guess I just wouldn't feel right if I made it back and I left someone behind."

"I know exactly how you feel Sarge." Tully answered. "But if that's the way you want it..…" He turned and started to walk away.

"Tully."

"Yeah Sarge?"

"A little help with Hitch. I want to make him comfortable next to the fire."

Once Hitch was settled Troy took first watch. As he walked around their small camp he thought about his conversation with Tully. The conversation had left him feeling guilty that he would ask Tully to do something that he didn't want to do himself. He just couldn't figure out any other way to do it. He looked at the camp and saw Tully bedded down next to Hitch. He knew Tully would get Hitch to the base safely; and he knew he would do everything in his power to cover for them.

When morning came Tully was awake early to prepare breakfast. He hadn't slept well and it showed. Eating quickly he left Troy's breakfast heating over their small fire as he picked up a weapon to take over guard duty. He was about to head up the slope when Troy joined him in camp.

"I'll eat fast and we'll head out. I checked on Hitch a little bit ago and he seemed better."

"I am better."

Both men spun to see their friend sitting up looking at them.

Troy rushed to his side. "Tully's going to take you back while I provide cover."

"You can't provide cover alone in a jeep Sarge."

"We don't have much choice Hitch."

Hitch looked toward Tully and saw the frown on his face. "Why can't Tully drive while you man the 50?"

"Because that doesn't leave anyone to drive the other jeep." Troy explained.

"I can drive."

"No!"

"Okay." Hitch relented. "You drive, and if we run into trouble you can switch to Tully's 50 while I take over driving myself."

"That might work Sarge." Tully chimed in.

"Hitch can't drive." Troy argued.

"Sure I can Sarge." Hitch disagreed. "I feel a lot better today. All I needed was some rest. Besides, maybe we won't run into any trouble and it won't be an issue."

Troy hesitated, remembering his talk with Tully the night before. "All right, we'll try it, but if it gets to be too much, you let me know. You can rest in the back unless you need to drive."

"Okay Sarge." Hitch agreed. "What's for breakfast, I'm starved."

Tully laughed and handed Hitch a plate. "You eat; I'll get the jeeps ready. "By the time Tully had the jeeps ready and the camp packed away, Hitch was done eating and watching him.

"Something wrong?"

"No." Hitch shook his head.

"You don't have to do this Hitch; we can manage without you driving."

"No." Hitch shook his head stubbornly. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"I was just thinking about Moffitt. Did you wait to see how he was doing before you came back for us?"

Tully nodded. "He made it through surgery okay. The doctor said that he should be fine. I hated leaving him but I was worried that you guys might need me."

Hitch nodded. "Thanks Tully.

"Any time buddy."

"I can do this Tully."

Tully nodded. "I know you can. Just do me a favor?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't try too hard to prove it. If you get tired let Sarge know. He'll blame himself if anything happens after he agreed to this."

Hitch glance toward the sergeant. "Okay Tully, I can do that too."

"Good. Now…are you ready to go? Doc is probably awake by now."


	9. Chapter 9

**After The Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 9

The trip back had proven to be uneventful and Hitch had even managed to sleep most of the way.

The guards at the gate had given Tully some funny looks when he returned with yet another wounded man and another sergeant. The MP who had been assigned as his escort the previous day elected to help him through the gate without papers. He shook his head and smiled as Tully introduced Troy and the sleeping Hitchcock.

"Another wounded man?"

"Yeah, he needs a doctor."

"I'm sure he does." The MP chuckled. "At least you brought an American sergeant this time." Troy glanced at Tully and got a shrug in return.

"It's a long story Sarge. We'll have plenty of time to talk while we're hanging around the hospital."

"Are you going to let us through?" The sergeant growled at the amused MP.

"Yes Sergeant, I have orders to let the private through with whoever he brings along. I take it you're part of his unit?"

"Sergeant Sam Troy."

"He's my sergeant." Tully offered.

"He is? What does that make the other one?"

"My sergeant." Tully answered simply.

"Okay, Okay." The MP laughed. "Take your friend to the hospital and then report to Captain Elan. I'll tell him you're back."

Tully and Troy dropped Hitch off at the hospital and then went to report to Captain Elan. The Captain was surprised by the story that Troy and Tully told him. After listening to the whole report, he shook his head and laughed as Tully asked if they could go check on their friends.

"Go ahead Private, the last I heard he was doing okay. You don't have any more friends out there do you?"

"No sir." Tully replied.

"Good, then maybe things will settle down around here. You managed to stir things up a bit with your arrival."

"I didn't mean to Sir."

"I understand that Private. Why don't you get some room assignments and then go visit your friends? If I have any more questions I will know where to find you. Dismissed."

Troy stayed behind to get their room assignments while he sent Tully to wait for news,

When he arrived at the hospital he had to wait to find out about Hitch. Tully found himself once again pacing the hall. He was in full pacing mode when two men walked around the corner and halted at the sight of him.

"You're back?"

Tully turned to see the doctor who had operated on Moffitt. "How's Sergeant Moffitt?"

The doctor frowned. "Is he always so hard to keep down?"

"Keep down?" It was Tully's turn to frown. "Is he trying to get up?"

"Every chance he gets." The doctor answered. "He keeps insisting that he has to go look for you and some of his other friends." The doctor paused and eyed Tully. "You were going to look for your friends, did you give up already?"

Tully shook his head. "I have another friend in surgery. He caught a bullet in the leg."

"Doesn't sound like being your friend is very safe." The man with the doctor stated dryly.

"Sometimes it isn't." Tully admitted, taking no offense. "I guess I'm just lucky that they don't let that stop them." Turning his attention to the doctor, he offered his reassurance. "Sergeant Moffitt will calm down when he finds out we're all back and safe."

"Is your other friend all right then?"

Tully shrugged. "I hope so. The doctor who took him into surgery didn't seem too concerned. I guess I should know soon."

"Well I wish you the best Private; I hope your friend is okay. I'm on my way to check on your sergeant, may I tell him that you're back?"

"Sure, and tell him Sarge and Hitch are back too, that should make him happy."

"Thank you, I'll do that."

Tully continued to pace until Troy returned from Captain Elan's office. "I got our room assignments. We can go over there and get some sleep after we see Hitch and Moffitt. Is there any news?"

"Not yet." Tully shook his head. "But the doctor who operated on Moffitt was just here. He says Doc is giving him a hard time. Maybe you should go calm him down."

"Moffitt? Moffitt's the calmest guy I know!"

"Not today."

"What's his problem?"

"We are. He wants to go look for us."

"Ah!"

"Yeah." Tully agreed. "Go ahead Sarge, I'll wait on Hitch." Troy hesitated, torn between his loyalties. "Hitch will understand." Tully added.

"You'll let me know as soon as Hitch comes out?"

"Right away Sarge."

Troy rose and went in search of Moffitt. He found him in a semi-private room giving a nurse a hard time.

"Is there a problem here?"

"Troy!" Moffitt turned too quickly to face Troy and his face twisted with pain at the movement.

"Take it easy Moffitt." Troy stepped into the room and looked for a seat. "Tully said you were worried about something." Troy smiled at the nurse as he pulled a chair up next to the bed.

"Not something…you know very well what I was worried about." Moffitt huffed.

"What's that?" Troy teased with a grin.

"I left something in your jeep and I was worried that you might lose it." The British sergeant blushed slightly as he looked at the nurse.

Troy nodded as if it all made sense. "Well don't worry, we didn't lose it."

"Good." Moffitt answered. "Where is it now? I only see half of it."

"The other half got a hole in it. Tully is making sure that it gets patched up."

Moffitt looked worried.

"It's going to be all right." Troy continued. "At least I think so. It didn't look that bad. We were delayed because a bullet hit our fuel line and we had to fix it before we could head back."

"Did Tully find you?"

"Yeah. He fixed the jeep for us too."

"You know, if you behave they just might let you have company for a little while."

"I'd like that." Moffitt smiled.

"Hitch would like it too, I'm sure."

"You are allowed company Sergeant." The nurse assured him. "They can visit anytime."

"I was thinking more of someone sharing the room." Troy admitted.

"This is a hospital Sergeant; we can't have people staying here when they aren't sick."

"He's not sick." Troy explained, "But he is hurt."

"You didn't stay to see what the doctors had to say?" Moffitt asked with a frown.

"No." Troy shook his head.

"Troy, you always stay to make sure we're okay."

"I know." Troy agreed. "Tully said that you were worried about something and he insisted that I come to calm you down. He's staying with Hitch. He promised to let me know the minute Hitch is out of surgery."

"I'm touched. You came to me first." Moffitt's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Yeah, but don't let it go to your head." Troy growled gruffly. "I was just tired of sitting around the waiting room."

"Oh, and here I thought you cared." Moffitt pouted as the nurse looked on. "Could you check and see if my friend is out of surgery yet?" Moffitt asked the nurse. She nodded and left the two men to visit.

"Tully said he'd let us know." Troy repeated.

"I know, I just wanted to know what happened out there."

"It's a long story." At Moffitt's insistence Troy told him everything that had happened after Tully left with him. "We were glad to see Tully. He fixed the jeep while I kept watch and then we moved Hitch to a safer camp. I didn't want to stay too close to the burning halftracks."

Moffitt nodded his understanding. Any questions he still had were interrupted by Tully's arrival.

"How's Hitch?" Troy asked.

"I'm fine." Hitch said from the doorway. "The doc said I could share Moffitt's room if it's okay with Moffitt." Hitch looked expectantly at the British sergeant.

"Of course Hitch, I'd love the company. Tell them to bring you in."

The orderlies pushed the gurney into the room and helped Hitch get settled into the second bed. Once they were finished the nurses took over and hooked up an IV and arranged his pillows. They smiled and looked coy as he winked at them.

The others laughed at his antics and shook their heads after the nurses left.

"At least there won't be a shortage of nurses to provide for your every need." Troy laughed to Moffitt.

"Yeah but I'm going to have to get them away from Hitch if I want anything." Moffitt smiled.

"That's okay Doc." Hitch grinned happily. "I share."


End file.
